Sam Hornish Jr. Charlotte Motor Speedway Preview

October 12, 2010

Mobil 1 Team News and Notes• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, has performed well at intermediate venues like Charlotte Motor Speedway since transitioning to Cup Series racing in 2008. Hornish has a total of 48 starts at tracks over one mile but less than two miles in length, with an average starting position of 21.3 and an average finish of 26.9, while he has secured three top-10, five top-15 and 24 top-20 finishes.• In a total of five Cup Series career starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hornish has one top-15 and three top-20 results with an average finish of 21.6 and best effort of 13th (2008) at the 1.5-mile oval. In addition, Hornish won the Sprint Showdown qualifying event for the All-Star Race at Charlotte in 2009.• Last weekend at Auto Club Speedway, Hornish rallied to score a 15th-place finish in the Cup Series event at the Southern California venue after battling a tight-handling race car for much of the afternoon. The result marked the sixth top-15 finish for the Mobil 1 team this season.• Mobil 1 crew chief Travis Geisler offers fans a glimpse into car setup for each racetrack on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit at washingtonpost.com. Geisler reports that at Charlotte, things are a little loose and drivers tend to get “nosey” heading into the turns. Learn more at http://wapo.st/d1rrKN.• Hornish will be on hand to sign autographs at the Penske Racing souvenir trailer on Saturday, October 16 from 3:50 – 4:20 p.m. EDT at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Sam Hornish Jr. QuoteCharlotte Motor Speedway is a track that really seems to suit you. Why do you enjoy racing there so much?“Charlotte Motor Speedway has a lot of grip. The track doesn't change much from day to night; it just gets a little tighter. It's a place that suited me from the beginning. The first time I went there I didn't really like it, but now I feel like I know what the car needs and I always look forward to racing there. Charlotte races different than a lot of other places because the track surface is not abrasive and the tires last. The way Charlotte is paved, it handles a lot different than the other 1.5-mile tracks.”

Do you feel that tire consistency has helped your performance at Charlotte Motor Speedway?“Goodyear has been really consistent with the tire they have taken to Charlotte. They haven't had any tire failure issues so they keep bringing the same tire back. It seems like at most tracks, they bring a different tire back for the next race because someone has had problems there. Charlotte has been pretty consistent with the tire and I think that's one of the reasons why we have run the way we have there.”

Crew Chief Travis Geisler QuoteWhat are your thoughts on this weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway?“The Mobil 1 Dodge team is excited to get back to Charlotte Motor Speedway and run under the lights in front of the hometown crowd. Charlotte is such a fast track and the cooler temperatures should make for plenty of grip on Saturday night. The tire that Goodyear brings to Charlotte does not lose a lot of grip during each fuel run, so the drivers can push the car pretty hard without paying a penalty at the end of the run.”

Team Penske is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Cars owned and prepared by Team Penske have produced more than 470 major race wins, over 540 pole positions and 32 Championships across open-wheel, stock car and sports car racing competition. Over the course of its 52-year history, the team has also earned 16 Indianapolis 500 victories, two Daytona 500 Championships, a Formula 1 win and overall victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. For 2018, Team Penske will compete in the Verizon IndyCar Series, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The team also races in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, in a partnership with Dick Johnson Racing, as DJR Team Penske.